Lubricating mechanism



Nov. 8, 1932- M. Bv WALKER LUBRICATING MECHANISM Filed March 26, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 8, 1932. WALKER 1,886,505

LUBRICATING MECHANISM Filed March 26, 1929 3 SheetsSheet 2 gli- IIII

Atomeu Nov. 8, 1932. M. a. WALKER v 1,886,505

LUBRICATING MECHANI SM Filed March 26, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5' A torney Patented Nov. 8, 1932 Lease MITCHELL B. WALKER, F GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA LUBRIGATING MECHANISM Application filed March as, 1929. Serial No. 350,033.

The present invention appertains to a new and useful improvement in lubrication, and more particularly to improved means for force feeding lubricant to remotely located bearings.

This invention is especially adapted for use on automobiles, where a. centralized feeding mechanism would be far more convenient and practical than the necessary lubricating of each individual bearing by hand.

An important object of the invention is to provide a lubricating mechanism which will be substantially automatic in operation.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a lubricating mechanism which will be of low cost, to manufacture due to its extremely brief construction.

These and other objects of he invention will become more apparent to the reader after considering the invention as described and claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a rear side elevation of the usual cowl wall of an automobile body with the improved mechanism mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 represents a partial side elevation Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view thru the lower portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the lower portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through one of the pump devices of the mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the plunger employed in the pump devices.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, the present invention includes a gear chamber 3 provided at its inner side and adjacent its open top with a shoulder 4.

Extending into the gear chamber 3 and for rest upon the shoulder 4 is a lubricant container 5. The container is provided with the bottom wall 6 and the top wall 7 and has a plurality of cylinders 8 extending vertically through these walls and depending for a substantial distance into the gear chamber 3, substantially as shown in Fig. 2.

These cylinders are arranged in the annular formation shown in Fig. 3, and each is provided with a shoulder 9 for engagement against the bottom side of the wall 6, while its upper end is threaded to receive the nut 10 which is adapted to be urged against the top surface of the wall 7 to firmly maintain the cylinder in position. j

Adjacent the bottom wall 6, the cylinder 8 is provided with a. lubricant inlet opening 11 while situated immediately above the inlet opening 11 and within the cylinder 8 is a valve seat structure 12 against which the ball 13 is normally seated and tensionally thus maintained'by the coiled spring 14. The coiled spring 14 impinges at its upper end against the plug 15 threadedly engaged within the upper end of the cylinder 8 for connecting the discharge tube 16 to the cylinder. V

A plunger 17 is slidably engaged within the portion of the cylinder depending within the gear chamber '3 and is provided with a convex-shaped head 18 at its lower end. A coiled compressible spring 19 is interposed between the head 18 and the shoulder 9 on the cylinder 8. The spring is adapted to normal ly maintain the plunger 17 in a position so as to establish communication between the interior of the cylinder 8 and the interior of the lubricant chamber 5 through the opening 11.

A barrel 20 depends from the bottom of the gear chamber 3, and contains a rotatably mounted body 21 of suitable di-electric material. The lower end portion of the body 21 carries a plurality of circumferentially spaced contact plates 22, preferably equal in number to the number of pump devices." The lower end portion ofthe body 21 carries an insulating ring of fibre with one ground contacty which is to show a telltale light when the device has made one complete revolution, which, of course, means that the lubricant has been forced toall points. A binding post 23 said plungers, a driving mechanism carried by said casin g and having operative connection wlth said rotatable elements, sald rotatable elements and said driving mechanism being removable with said casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MITCHELL B. WALKER.

substantially the same as the circle described by the annular arrangement of pump devices and is substantially concentric therewith. The gear turn chamber 3 has an offset 28 in its lower portion to accommodate a worm '29 for meshing with the gear 25..

As is shown in Fig. '1, a suitable bracket 30 secured to the bottom of the gear chamher 3, extends laterally with respect thereto and has an upstanding post 31 thereon for supporting an electric motor 32. The armature shaft 33 of the motor extends through the side wall of the gear chamber 3 and the ofi'set portion 28 thereof and has the worm '29 'keyed thereto.

It will thus be seen that when themotor 32 is energized, therotation of the shaft 33 27. -The cam as it rides against the heads 18.

and gear 29 will revolve the gear carried cam of the plungers 17 will cause the plungers on the pump devices to move upwardly'in their respective cylinders to force the lubricant contained therein past the aforementioned check valve and out through the discharge tube 16 to the corresponding parts of the vehicle to be lubricated.

In Fig. 2 it will be seen thatthe gear chamber 3 is provided with upstanding threaded members 34; for disposition through apertured ears 35 on the lubricant container 5. Nuts 36 are engageable on the threaded members 34 and may be removed topermit the disassembly of the mechanism.

Obviously thepresent invention involves numerous novel features and advantages over the art, and it is to be understood'that various changes in the specific, shape, and size, and materials, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is In a lubricator, a reservoir adapted for the reception of a lubricant and being provided 7 with a plurality of pumping units having longitudina'lly movable plungers extending out through the lower end of the reservoir, a casing suspended from the reservoir, means de-- ta chably connecting the'casing to the lower portion of the reservoir, a rotatable element mounted within the lower portion of the easing and beingcarried thereby and having an arcuate cam for successive engagement with 

